The Absence of Presence

One of the disadvantages
To having a sibling
Is that the sibling can remind you
About the past
You strive so hard to sometimes forget.
The sibling can fill you with memories
That make you wistful,
And full of longing and missing.

Thanks a lot, my sister.

All this talk
We've been engaging in
About our parents
Has reminded me
Of the ache I often feel
When thinking about them.
Too soon, gone too soon...
Too many parts of my life
That they aren't privy to
Or present for.
I can speak of them in Glory,
Perhaps looking upon me from
The Great Cloud of Witnesses,
But today that thought provides
Little real comfort.

"There's a reason for everything."
Yes, yes...
But today,
Knowing that in my head
And experiencing that in my heart,
I stumble traversing
The gulf between the two...